Worry Comes Like a Thread, Untreatable

Student Council

"Is the student council president not here?"

"The president went out for an exchange program with another school."

A student council member nodded politely at Li Guanqi before asking, "By the way, what did you need the president for?"

Li Guanqi shook her head and stepped out of the student council office. However, as soon as she closed the door behind her, her brows furrowed.

The timing was just too coincidental.

She had just messaged her sister but received no reply, which was why she had come to ask in person.

Yet, unexpectedly, the president was already gone.

In that case, she decided not to keep the appointment today. She took out her phone, preparing to send a text to Liu Qingyue.

"Junior~"

Suddenly, a familiar feminine voice called out from the end of the hallway.

She instinctively turned her head and saw a delicate, pretty face with sharp features—Liu Qingyue—standing there.

"I was just about to message you, and here you are."

Li Guanqi composed herself, her tone and expression neutral as she responded, slipping her phone back into her pocket.

"Mhm, just passing by."

Liu Qingyue pressed her lips together in a faint smile before walking closer. The two silently studied each other, neither speaking first.

After a long pause, Liu Qingyue finally asked, "Did you have business at the student council office?"

"Nothing important. Just wanted to check in."

Li Guanqi replied dismissively before shifting the topic. "I won’t be able to make it at noon."

"Then why don’t we cut to the chase and settle things here?"

Liu Qingyue’s delicate brows knitted slightly as she stood beside Li Guanqi, lightly looping an arm around hers as if they were just chatting casually. "Actually, it doesn’t have to take long. Look."

At this, Li Guanqi glanced down at Liu Qingyue’s fair, slender hand, where a black-and-gold ring rested in her palm.

Her pupils constricted briefly before returning to normal. She countered, "Your young mistress isn’t affected by it?"

"She is."

Liu Qingyue closed her fingers around the ring and explained seriously, "But to show sincerity, our young mistress deliberately took it off and entrusted it to me temporarily."

As she spoke, she even made a pen vanish into thin air. After this demonstration, she studied Li Guanqi’s eyes, trying to discern her thoughts.

Yet Li Guanqi remained as unreadable as still water, merely responding flatly, "In that case, let’s find a quiet spot to talk."

"Alright."

Liu Qingyue nodded.

The two walked side by side toward a pavilion outside the teaching building.

Once seated across from each other, Li Guanqi fixed her gaze on Liu Qingyue and extended a hand, silently asking for the ring.

Without protest, Liu Qingyue handed it over.

"To avoid discomfort, I’ll be the one testing it."

Li Guanqi ran her fingers over the ring’s surface, her eyes dark and unfathomable. "I hope you understand, senior."

"I do." Liu Qingyue replied coolly.

Once the ring was in her possession, Li Guanqi first tested its authenticity by attempting to use it like Liu Qingyue had—and to her surprise, it worked just as well as her own.

Next, she pressed the two rings together, closed her eyes, and focused deeply. Moments later, she reopened them.

She shook her head slightly. "No change."

"Then try placing one ring inside the other."

Liu Qingyue suggested.

Following the instruction, Li Guanqi attempted it, but still, nothing happened.

"Hmm…"

Liu Qingyue frowned in thought.

After a few seconds, she spoke again, "Junior, it seems there’s no connection between the rings at all. That’s rather puzzling… Maybe try switching rings to see if there’s any effect."

Hesitating briefly, Li Guanqi finally nodded and removed her own ring. The moment it left her finger, an overwhelming sense of emptiness crashed over her, as if her heart had been hollowed out.

But she didn’t dwell on it. Instead, she slipped on Ji Qingyi’s ring—only for the hollowness to persist, now tinged with irritation.

She moved to take it off.

"Try focusing a little longer."

Liu Qingyue advised.

Complying, Li Guanqi clenched the ring tightly and shut her eyes, concentrating on her emotions. Yet the result remained the same.

She removed it, put her own back on, and returned the borrowed ring to Liu Qingyue, stating firmly, "It seems there’s truly no link between the rings. We’ll need another approach."

"That does appear to be the case."

Liu Qingyue mused before adding after a pause, "However… junior, if the rings aren’t connected, perhaps you and the young mistress are? Maybe because I’m not the ring’s owner, I couldn’t establish a resonance…"

"That possibility can’t be ruled out."

Li Guanqi gave a slight nod, then locked eyes with Liu Qingyue. "So… are you suggesting I meet with your young mistress?"

"That would be ideal."

Liu Qingyue shook her head and clarified, "But since you’re wary of us, we’ve decided to show goodwill first by sharing what we know."

She paused briefly before continuing, "We genuinely want to collaborate with you, but don’t misunderstand—this isn’t about profit. It’s purely for mutual exchange and discussion. What do you think?"

"Information?"

Li Guanqi’s brows twitched slightly.

"Yes. According to our investigation, Gu Ruoxue also possesses an identical ring. You’re familiar with her character—while we don’t particularly like her, we respect her principles and integrity."

Liu Qingyue explained succinctly before adding, "You could arrange a meeting with her and observe how your rings react. If there’s any change, we’d appreciate it if you shared the outcome with us."

At this, Li Guanqi fell silent. In her mind, collaborating with the Ji family had never been the only option.

Yet now, Liu Qingyue had voluntarily disclosed this.

"I already knew about this."

Li Guanqi finally spoke, her voice measured as she lifted her gaze to meet Liu Qingyue’s. "This isn’t information that helps me. I can refuse you."

"What if I told you we have a way to let you remove the ring without suffering any adverse effects?" Liu Qingyue asked calmly.

"What way?"

Li Guanqi’s tone sharpened.

No wonder Ji Qingyi had entrusted the ring to Liu Qingyue.

They actually had such a method.

"Cooperate, and I’ll tell you."

Liu Qingyue paused before adding, "But there are conditions."

"Name them."

Li Guanqi replied coldly.

"First: Both parties must respect each other's privacy. This matter cannot be disclosed to anyone without the ring. Second: We suspect Gu Ruoxue possesses more information than we do, so we hope that after you make contact with her, you will share the details you uncover with us. As for the third condition..."

Liu Qingyue paused deliberately at this point, then smiled and added, "To demonstrate our sincerity, we’ll leave this one for you to decide."

Li Guanqi fell into a brief silence, seemingly weighing the pros and cons, before finally responding, "Your sincerity is evident. But this isn’t a wise choice. I must decline."

"What a pity... Still, we hope you’ll reconsider."

Liu Qingyue sighed regretfully, then stood up, leaving behind a contact method before departing. Her demeanor suggested nothing more than a sincere offer of cooperation, devoid of any malice, which left Li Guanqi with a strange impression—her perception of the Ji family and their associates began to shift slightly.

"A way to eliminate negative emotions?"

Li Guanqi sank into contemplation, as this method was undeniably crucial for her. After all, wearing something that made her feel so restless and constrained every day was unbearable!

Yet cooperating with the Ji family was far too dangerous.

………………………………………

Su Cheng was deeply troubled.

Plucking a single flower had landed him with yet another debt of gratitude.

It felt like falling into an endless loop—repaying one favor only to owe another, an infinite cycle with no escape!

"Water of Life"—setting aside its mystical connotations—was clearly something extraordinarily precious. Why would the Practice Department even consider helping him?

Unfortunately, before he could finish speaking, he was unceremoniously kicked out of the garden.

"Water of Life?"

Standing outside the garden, Su Cheng clutched a perfectly bloomed carnation, muttering the phrase under his breath with an increasingly odd expression.

Based on his understanding, wasn’t that just vodka?

Water of Life = Vodka.

So… was he supposed to pour vodka on the peonies?

The mysterious woman who had just dismissed him left him utterly exasperated. She had been domineering, allowing no room for argument before shooing him away.

"Whatever, I’ll deal with it later."

Shaking his head, he decided to set the matter aside for now and focus on the most pressing task—both the flower and the letter were ready!

Now, all that remained was delivering the letter to Hoshino Mirai.

He pulled out his phone and messaged Cornelia.

Su Cheng: "Is Hoshino Mirai in your class?"

Cornelia replied instantly.

Cornelia: "No, she’s in the next class over. Same as Ailiya."

Cornelia: "Why? Do you need something from her?"

Su Cheng was surprised—he hadn’t realized Cornelia and Ailiya weren’t classmates. But he quickly recovered and typed back.

Su Cheng: "Do you know her classroom and seat number?"

Cornelia: "Let me ask Ailiya. Hold on."

Two minutes later.

Cornelia: "Class 2-3, second row, third seat."

Cornelia: "What do you need from her??"

The repeated question marks betrayed Cornelia’s confusion and curiosity. She clearly found his sudden interest in Hoshino Mirai baffling.

After all, as far as she knew, their only prior interaction had been Su Cheng publicly supporting her once.

Beyond that, she had no clue.

Su Cheng: "I’ll explain in detail when I get home."

With that, he pocketed his phone and headed toward the school building. After retrieving a face mask from his desk, he made his way to the second-year wing, his heart pounding nervously.

This kind of thing was still embarrassing for him.

It was all too easy for others to mistake it for a love letter.

Soon, he arrived outside Class 2-3.

Inside, he spotted a short-haired girl in uniform, her back turned as she scribbled something on a sheet of paper.

"Wait, isn’t that Liu Qingyue from this morning?"

Su Cheng froze.

But the next moment, Liu Qingyue suddenly stood up and walked out of the classroom, forcing him to duck aside hastily.

She headed straight for the restroom.

Su Cheng exhaled in relief, scolding himself for being so jumpy—he’d forgotten he was wearing a mask.

Stealthily, he slipped into the classroom, made his way to Hoshino Mirai’s desk, and double-checked the textbook to confirm it was hers.

Then, he stuffed the letter and flower into the desk before bolting out without a second’s delay.

One minute later—

Liu Qingyue returned and walked straight to Hoshino Mirai’s desk, bending down to peek at the contents of the drawer.

Seeing only the letter and flower, she straightened up and remarked with a sigh, "No bread or milk this time."

She didn’t attempt to read the letter. Instead, she returned to her own seat, folded the paper on her desk, and slipped it into an envelope.

Holding it up, she compared it to Su Cheng’s letter and flower, then frowned at the plainness of her own.

"Hmm…"

She nibbled on the end of her pen thoughtfully before lightly touching her lips and nodding to herself.

She rummaged through her bag, pulled out a makeup case, and took the envelope to the restroom.

Inside a stall, she swiftly reapplied her lipstick in a different shade, her movements practiced and precise.

Once done, she pressed a kiss onto the envelope, leaving a faint lipstick mark.

Then, she wiped off the excess, reapplied her usual shade, adjusted her uniform, and exited the restroom with effortless grace—calm, composed, and utterly unruffled.

Mission accomplished.

She strode toward Class 1-2.

Standing outside Su Cheng’s classroom, she confirmed that neither Li Guanqi nor Su Cheng were present before glancing to the side, where two familiar figures stood.

A faint smile curved her lips as she raised a hand and called out softly, "Hello, juniors~"

"Huh?"

Xuan Ying and Zhao Yan looked up in unison, their expressions puzzled. They didn’t know this senior well, but out of politeness, they approached.

"Hello, Senior," Zhao Yan greeted with a slight nod. "Is there something you need?"

"I’d like to ask a favor." Liu Qingyue smiled gently and extended the envelope.

Zhao Yan hesitated for a moment before understanding. She reached out with delicate fingers and accepted it.

"Who should we deliver this to?"

"Su Cheng. Thank you for your help."

Liu Qingyue’s voice was warm and appreciative.

"Understood."

Zhao Yan nodded.

With a grateful smile, Liu Qingyue turned and left.

Watching her go, Xuan Ying couldn’t hide her bewilderment. "Why would a pretty senior like her take an interest in such a gloomy guy?"

"Maybe he has qualities we don’t know about," Zhao Yan shrugged, tucking the envelope into Su Cheng’s desk. She shot Xuan Ying a pointed look. "Don’t judge a book by its cover."

Xuan Ying pouted after hearing this, but deep down, she didn’t have much fondness for this special admit named Su Cheng. After all, the guy looked timid and shifty—aside from being academically gifted, he lacked any trace of masculinity. Seeing him tense up around them, like a mouse cornered by a cat, was not only boring but also made her uncomfortable.

Just then—

Speak of the devil, Su Cheng walked in from outside, as cold and composed as ever.

The two girls stopped their conversation and turned their attention to him.

They were curious to see how he would react.

“What’s going on…?”

Su Cheng’s steps faltered as he noticed the two beauties of the class staring at him, instantly feeling the weight of their gazes pressing down on him. His body stiffened involuntarily.

Normally, they would just glance at him and look away—why were their stares so intense today?

A wave of frustration and helplessness washed over him. He hated being the center of attention, and now he just felt awkward and out of place.

“I’ll pretend to sleep.”

Su Cheng steeled himself and decided to bury his head in his arms to escape the awkward situation.

But just as he laid his head on the desk and closed his eyes—

“Su Cheng, you might want to check your desk drawer.”

A melodious, mature female voice suddenly spoke up.

Su Cheng lifted his head and opened his eyes.

He saw the golden-haired girl giving him a friendly reminder, while the black-haired girl beside her nodded at him.

Su Cheng was stunned.

What was happening?

He blankly stared at the two girls, his mind empty, but he obediently lowered his head to check the drawer. The moment he saw what was inside, his pupils constricted, and his entire body froze.

Then, he became even more bewildered.

What the—?

It was something resembling a love letter!

Who even used envelopes these days?!

“Uh, I…”

Su Cheng swallowed hard and looked up, unsure what to do. He turned to the girls for help and asked, “Um, who put this in my drawer?”

Zhao Yan pressed her lips together and shook her head gently. “We can’t tell you that. We hope you’ll understand.”

“Just open it and see for yourself,” Xuan Ying interjected with a hint of impatience.

Honestly, this Su Cheng was so annoying—utterly unreliable. He was probably over the moon inside but still pretending to be calm and asking them about it. So pretentious.

If not for her own curiosity, she wouldn’t have bothered with him at all, let alone engaged in any conversation.

“Thanks for the reminder.”

Su Cheng forced a smile despite his inner awkwardness and, with trembling hands, opened the letter.

This was his first time receiving something like this.

Of course he was nervous and excited.

The letter was short—just a single sentence and a simple cartoon doodle—but its contents left Su Cheng dumbfounded.

Because this wasn’t a love letter at all.

The cartoon character had distinctive short hair and knee-high socks.

It was unmistakably Senior Liu from this morning.

“Want to know why your medical records weren’t uploaded to the system? If you do, come to the bus stop after school!”

Su Cheng’s face instantly paled as he read the words, a sinking feeling of dread rising in his chest.

He had a bad feeling—he might have just landed himself in serious trouble.